PANELS: Rat Queens vol.1: Sass and Sorcery
Posted on July 24, 2014 Leave a Comment
Violet and Hannah discuss the finer points of racial stereotypes in fantasy in Rat Queens Volume 1: Sass and Sorcery
Tough Traveling: Practice/Combat Rings
Posted on July 24, 2014 20 Comments
The Thursday feature “Tough Traveling” is the brainchild of Nathan of Review Barn, who has come up with the excellent idea of making a new list each week based on the most common tropes in fantasy, as seen in The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynn Jones. Nathan has invited anyone who is interested to come play along, so be sure to check out the first link for more information. Compulsive list-maker that I am, I’m very excited to take part!
This week’s tour topic is: Practice/Combat Ring
PRACTICE RING OR COMBAT RING is a sanded circle used for sparring and WEAPONS practice… It can be found attached to any school of weaponry, outside mercenaries’ winter quarters, and quite often on the outskirts of aggressive towns.
Practice rings and combat rings are pretty common in fantasy novels, but this week’s list is still a toughie — it’s sometimes difficult to remember which books have ’em!
Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
One of the more memorable scenes in Yarvi’s tale comes early on in the novel, in the training square of Master-at-Arms Hunnan. Ordered to spar with king, Keimdal and Yarvi fight with practice swords and shields, the latter doing the best he can with his crippled hand. Yarvi is bested in the first bout, but in the next he asks Hurik, the queen’s Chosen Shield to stand in for him, and that was considered a canny move.
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
Shardbearers routinely hone their skills and train in practice rings, invaluable experience for when they challenge each other for their shardblades and shardplates. And in one of the most epic, EPIC, EPIC dueling ring scenes I have ever read, Adolin is manipulated into fighting four shardbearers at once.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Defense Against the Dark Arts is a subject taught at Hogwarts in which students learn how to defend themselves against dark magic, creatures, or other charms. In the fifth book of this series, Harry, Hermione and Ron initiate a secret organization called Dumbledore’s Army to teach and practice proper DADA lessons with their fellow students after Professor Dolores Umbridge refuses to teach anything useful in her classes. The group uses the Room of Requirement as their headquarters and practice/dueling area.
The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley
Emperor Sanlitun’s younger son Valyn trains with the Kettral (an elite group of the empire’s warriors — think of them as the emperor’s special forces) leads a brutal life, forced to go through dangerous tests in order to earn his place on a Wing. Recruits are frequently assigned groups and told to spar in practice rings, and several times Valyn and his friends are bested by their nemesis and their opponent’s magic user, whose source of power is closely guarded secret and remains a mystery for much of the book.
Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien de Castell
I debated whether or not even to include the practice swordfight rings of the “false” Greatcoats that Falcio encounters, considering their mere existence and “play fights” are a mockery to the once great order. But that scene where Falcio teaches the foppish leader a lesson and makes his exit by kicking a lady between the legs is just too damn good to pass up.
Generation V Liveread! #MLBGenV
Posted on July 23, 2014 6 Comments
M.L. Brennan has recently been teasing me with the use of very interesting words in her recent novels. Some of these words even have three or more syllables! I can’t have her flinging around this kind of thesaurus goodness and not be able to properly participate in it, so, starting on Monday, August 4th, I’m going to be reading Generation V and livetweeting with The Author Herself at #MLBGenV! If you’re delinquent like me and haven’t gotten into Brennan’s urban fantasy series yet, now’s your chance to fix that. Grab a copy of Generation V and join the (spoiler and #DinosaurErotica -free) fun with questions, quotes and quomments on Twitter using the hashtag #MLBGenV.
Reality Bites
Fortitude Scott’s life is a mess. A degree in film theory has left him with zero marketable skills, his job revolves around pouring coffee, his roommate hasn’t paid rent in four months, and he’s also a vampire. Well, sort of. He’s still mostly human.
But when a new vampire comes into his family’s territory and young girls start going missing, Fort can’t ignore his heritage anymore. His mother and his older, stronger siblings think he’s crazy for wanting to get involved. So it’s up to Fort to take action, with the assistance of Suzume Hollis, a dangerous and sexy shape-shifter. Fort is determined to find a way to outsmart the deadly vamp, even if he isn’t quite sure how.
But without having matured into full vampirehood and with Suzume ready to split if things get too risky, Fort’s rescue mission might just kill him.…
Check out Mogsy’s review of Generation V here or her interview with M.L. Brennan here!
Book Review: The House of the Four Winds by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
Posted on July 23, 2014 14 Comments
The House of the Four Winds by Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of One Dozen Daughters
Publisher: Tor (August 5, 2014)
Author Information: Mercedes Lackey | James Mallory
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s been a while since I’ve read a satisfying maritime fantasy. “I wish you luck, love, and adventure,” says a character to the protagonist in the beginning of this novel, and incidentally that’s exactly what we get. Starring a princess masquerading as a young man, along with pirates, magic, a secret map and untold treasures, perhaps the “adventure” part is what we get the most of all in this story that takes place mostly on the high seas.
Princess Clarice is the daughter of the Duke of Swansgaarde, the eldest of twelve girls (I know…YIKES!) and one boy. While the arrival of a son and heir apparent was a much celebrated event, this left the family with a dilemma – they cannot possibly secure the futures of Clarice and her eleven sisters, as that many royal dowries would surely bankrupt the already small and modest Duchy. The girls, therefore, were raised from an early age to be able and independent, preparing for the day they would be expected to make their way into the world and find their own fortunes.
Sometimes, I get the feeling that a book really wants you to get into the action right away. These books tend not to weave the world’s history into the story and instead the authors push everything you need to know right up front. Readers of House of the Four Winds might find its prologue and the first couple of chapters to be exposition-heavy, outlining the Duchy of Swansgaarde’s circumstances and thus also explaining Clarice’s fighting prowess and motivations for traveling on her own to see the world. Granted, it’s not the most subtle way relaying the information, but it’s efficient and fast, and looking back, the introduction gave the book an almost fairy tale-like “Once upon a time…” quality, which was actually quite nice.
Then we get to the meat of the story, an action-adventure tale with a bit of romance thrown in. As the first princess to seek her fortune, Clarice has decided to play to her strengths as a sword fighter, and intends to hone her skills in the New World across the ocean. Disguising herself as a young nobleman named Clarence Swann, she is charmed by the charismatic and handsome navigator Dominick Moryet and books passage on his ship the Asesino, sailing under Captain Samuel Sprunt who is said to be extraordinarily lucky. There might have been more to Sprunt’s “luck”, however, as the unfortunate crew come to discover when tensions mount and an uprising becomes inevitable.
If your fancies run towards the nautical, then you’ll be in for a treat. Your journey will start with the down-and-dirty details of everyday ship living, as well as meeting the various crew members and officers, all of this seen through Clarice/Clarence’s eyes so it is all very natural and relevant to the young princess’ learning. The authors make it a fascinating experience and the story only gets better as the events unfold, leading to a mutiny and the discovery of a hidden island controlled by pirates and an evil enchantress. Pirates, of course, are always a fan favorite. The plot is also kept fun and lighthearted with the protagonist’s efforts to keep her disguise a secret, even as she begins to fall for the winsome Dominick. Mistrust between the factions aboard the ship keep the story interesting, not to mention the possibility of the crew of Asesino turning privateer themselves.
My only issue with this book involves certain aspects of the writing, especially when we are reading about significant events that I feel should hold more weight and suspense. In my opinion, these scenes weren’t very well executed. Deaths of important characters were glossed over unceremoniously. Fight scenes were cut-and-dried without much sense of urgency. And of course, the prime example was the critical and inevitable moment when Clarice’s identity is revealed to Dominick, and the result was a fizzle at best. There was no outrage and no shock of betrayal, and even if Dominick were the most understanding person in the world, I would not have expected his response to be “OMG I LOVE YOU TOO!” Things tied up just a little bit too neatly. Considering how Clarice kept the truth of her identity from the whole crew for pretty much the whole book, with everyone believing she was a man this whole time, I would have expected a more realistic reaction.
These tiny quibbles aside, The House of the Four Winds is a fine tale of swashbuckling adventure. The story is to be taken lightly and enjoyed at face value, and the book is the boisterous seafaring romp it was meant to be. As another bonus, it wraps up nicely with satisfying ending. This conclusion along with the series name of One Dozen Daughters leads me to wonder if future books will focus on Clarice’s sisters’ individual journeys instead, rather than continue with Clarice herself. If that turns out to be the case, then there’s no telling the places this series can go; the possibilities are exciting and endless. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing more.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Tor Books!
Waiting on Wednesday 07/23/14
Posted on July 23, 2014 10 Comments
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that lets us feature upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick:
Lock in by John Scalzi: August 26, 2014 (Tor Books)
I’ve always been more into fantasy and wasn’t always a big science fiction reader, and I still struggle sometimes with the hard sci-fi stuff. But I’m reading a lot more of it than I used to and I love it. When I first started getting into the genre, a lot of John Scalzi’s books (especially his Old Man’s War series) served as a gateway and really helped pave the way for more sci-fi in my reading. These days, I check out anything he writes because I know I can always count on his work to entertain me, so I’m pretty excited to read his upcoming book Lock In. And looks like I won’t have long to wait, as I received an ARC of it today!
“Fifteen years from now, a new virus sweeps the globe. 95% of those afflicted experience nothing worse than fever and headaches. Four percent suffer acute meningitis, creating the largest medical crisis in history. And one percent find themselvs “locked in”—fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus.
One per cent doesn’t seem like a lot. But in the United States, that’s 1.7 million people “locked in”…including the President’s wife and daughter.
Spurred by grief and the sheer magnitude of the suffering, America undertakes a massive scientific initiative. Nothing can restore the ability to control their own bodies to the locked in. But then two new technologies emerge. One is a virtual-reality environment, “The Agora,” in which the locked-in can interact with other humans, both locked-in and not. The other is the discovery that a few rare individuals have brains that are receptive to being controlled by others, meaning that from time to time, those who are locked in can “ride” these people and use their bodies as if they were their own.
This skill is quickly regulated, licensed, bonded, and controlled. Nothing can go wrong. Certainly nobody would be tempted to misuse it, for murder, for political power, or worse….”
Book Review: Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
Posted on July 22, 2014 11 Comments
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
Genre: Historical fantasy,
Series: Tales of the Otori #1
Publisher: Riverhead Books (January 2002)
Author Info: www.lianhearn.com
Wendy’s Rating – 3.5 of 5 stars
The infamous Nightingale Floor is a skilfully designed trap that signs the presence of any who walk across. The perfect piece of home improvement for the man who fears assassination. In this case, the home owner in question is Iida, a wicked ruler in Hearn’s feudal Japan-esque fantasy tale.
Iida has many enemies, not the least of which is the much loved Lord Otori, who, at the beginning of the book, finds a young boy, the only survivor of the brutal massacre of his village. Furthermore, the boy, in his escape, manages to unhorse Lord Iida, marking him for certain death, well beyond his status as a member of the Hidden. But Lord Otori defends him and escapes with him, later adopting him into his home and naming the boy, now called Takeo, his heir.
There is a lot more to Takeo than even he realizes, not the least of which is the fact that he is a ninja and thereby a member of the mysterious and deadly Tribe. This is one of the few places where the story troubled me a bit. Apparently, the powers of the Tribe show up at sixteen years old, so we conveniently get all of that within the first part of the story when Lord Otori brings Takeo home with him. These SUDDENLY NINJA! powers involve a lot of really cool tricks that Takeo learns to use with the help of Master Kenji, a member of the Tribe himself, and friend to Takeo. Takeo’s most notable skill is his acute hearing. Convenient for learning how to defeat a singing floor in order to assassinate a wicked dictator.
As the story goes on, we learn that the Tribe are all over the place, as well as members of the peaceful and spiritual Hidden. Moreover, we learn that everyone seems to know who and what Takeo was before he ever did and everyone wants him. He’s sworn fealty to Lord Otori, though, and vowed vengeance against Lord Iida.
Meanwhile, a young girl, Kaede, has been held hostage in Iida’s fortress for almost half of her life. As she comes into her own, she learns that she is quite beautiful, and thereby something of interest to the men. But due to unfortunate events, some of the men who try to claim her end up dead, earning her a reputation she is none too pleased with. When she is betrothed to Lord Otori, she fears for his life, as he is a kind and respected man, but worse, she instantly falls in love with his adopted son, Takeo. I can’t say I enjoyed Kaede’s role much, especially when she falls into simpering illness over her love of Takeo. At least she picks herself up in the end and serves greater purpose, though she still, ultimately, failed to endear herself to me. I am not opposed to female characters who do need some rescuing here and there, and can certainly appreciate the pain of depression, but lovesick fool was a little much for me.
Interestingly, the story is mostly told through Takeo’s first person point of view, while Kaede’s chapters are told through third person. Unfortunately, while I appreciated Takeo, I wasn’t enamoured with him enough to worry about what he will do next.
I did enjoy Hearn’s world and its similarities with Japanese culture. If you’re looking for historical and cultural accuracy, you may be disappointed, but that’s on you if you need your fantasy to be heavily laden with facts. I for one am always pleased when speculative fiction writers step outside the standard formats to give me something a little different. I also liked that the ending did not at all go where it seemed to be leading. Or rather, it did, but in a wholly unexpected way.
Graphic Novel Review Bites
Posted on July 21, 2014 5 Comments
Battlefields, Volume 1: Night Witches by Garth Ennis
I happened upon the obituary of Nadezhda Popova and learned of the existence of the Night Witches. Thereafter, I discovered that Garth Ennis had written a series of war stories called Battlefields, with the Night Witches appearing in the first volume. Sometimes, it’s hard to reconcile the writer responsible for such atrocities as Crossed (DO NOT CLICK if you value your sanity. Definitely NSFW), but other than the violence and depravity of war, Ennis’ stories in Battlefields are quite tame and well written in comparison. And they serve the all important purpose of telling us a little bit about the oft times unsung heroes of war.
The most interesting aspect of this comic is that while Ennis is focusing on the women, he parallels it by following a troop of German soldiers during the Russian invasion. Inevitably, the two groups meet, with unexpected results. Otherwise, the comic doesn’t go into a lot of detail and really doesn’t give you too much depth on the subject, even watering things down a bit with a superficial love story. A Wikipedia entry would serve better to detail their lives. Still, I went from not knowing anything about these brave Russian women, to discovering that Dynamite Comics had at least recognized their worth enough to let them figure prominently in this war series.
Legends of Red Sonja by Gail Simone
Red Sonja is being hunted by a group of mercenaries who would see her beheaded, burned, skinned alive, etc for her misdeeds, not the least of which is killing their prince. As they track the She-Devil across the land, they come across many people who have known the warrior and are eager to tell their story.
This is not exactly a collection of short stories, though each section is written by a different female writer, hand picked by Gail Simone herself. Every story weaves together nicely with Simone’s over-arching story of the hunters searching for their prey, while all the while revealing just how powerful and cunning their prey is as she leads them into her trap.
A fun read, though for an established fan, it’s probably not an enlightening one. For those looking to step into Sonja’s world, as rebooted by Gail Simone, this serves as an excellent invitation to embrace the metal bikini and the fierce warrior that unapologetically wears it.
With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
LES MISERABLES FALL OF FANTINE by Crystal Silvermoon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
There have been many interpretations of Victor Hugo’s Les Mis — why not a manga one? Just remember that manga is read from right to left, otherwise, you might either find this retelling very confusing, or artistically brilliant.
Personally, I found it a bit disappointing. The art is fairly typical for manga, with nothing unique about it, though it does well enough at telling the story. My problem comes in the fact that the text overshadows those images by too often stating the obvious. This might be a case of lost in translation, but really, there was just too much unnecessary repetition in the text. That said, this all works well for a much younger audience. The manga does a good job of dealing with the more mature and darker themes, without fully dumbing them down.
With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
Rocket Girl Volume 1: Times Squared by Brandon Montclare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dayoung Johansson is a New York City cop out to save 2015 from the crimes of Quintum Mechanics made in the past, only, her investigation leads her to the discovery that her time should never have existed.
Bright and quirky is the best way to describe the writing and artistic style. Dayoung is a fun character, bounding with teenage ideals, determination and firm adherence to the rules and her responsibility as a cop. 1986 is as loud and vibrant as it should be, as is Dayoung’s supporting cast.
Don’t get too caught up in the science of it all. Time travel is always a tricky concept to grasp, more so if too much thought is put into it. I appreciate that the story maintained its light-hearted feel, even when Dayoung came to understand the true impact of her mission and what it means for her “past.”
With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
Book Review: A Better World by Marcus Sakey
Posted on July 20, 2014 12 Comments
A Better World by Marcus Sakey
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
Series: Book 2 of The Brilliance Saga
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (June 17, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
I’ve actually not read the first book of the Brilliance Saga, but was reassured when told I could read A Better World without having to tackle Brilliance first. And that was absolutely correct. Not once did I feel lost or confused, thanks to a detailed recap of prior events in introduction chapters. As a new reader, that’s always appreciated (and I’m sure those familiar with the series might also find the reminders helpful, if it’s been a while since you read book one).
Taking place in the not-too-far future, this series is based on the premise that 1% of the population are born as “Brilliants”, individuals who possess special abilities allowing them to do some pretty amazing things. After 30 years, this has created a growing social chasm between these exceptional people and the vast majority who are “norms”. As with the case of most societies where such a divide occurs, you have dissension and a clashing of ideologies. And then you get the violence.
Fear has led the government to clamp down on brilliants, leading some of the extremist groups to fight back. A terrorist organization of brilliants called the Children of Darwin have shut down Cleveland, Tulsa, and Fresno, cutting off power and supplies to these cities. Nick Cooper, former anti-terrorism agent and a brilliant himself, has been called in by the president to help stop those responsible and to prevent a civil war.
Those who have read Brilliance would already be familiar with Cooper, though I was only meeting him for the first time. As a character, he makes a fascinating study. He’s a brilliant, but also a dedicated to hunting down abnorms involved in terrorist activity. The crimes perpetrated by the Children of Darwin go against everything he stands for, but the methods used by the government for controlling brilliants have also proven questionable, like taking Tier 1 children from their parents and placing them in “academies” which are nothing more than maximum security prison camps and brainwashing facilities. Cooper has realized that the situation isn’t black and white, and has already shifted alliances once. The questions and the indeterminate grey areas continue, and because things are never as they seem, you never know what’s going to happen next. Cooper, who has always believed in doing the right thing, is placed in one moral dilemma after another when he realizes he could be harming more people than he saves.
Even good intentions can lead to disastrous consequences, and I think it’s this theme which makes Cooper’s personality easier to take, separating him from the multitudes of do-gooder protagonists from a lot of other books. He came across initially as a rather self-righteous and naïve character, but by the end I could hardly fault him, as he goes through a rather rough time learning these difficult lessons. There were several tremendous game-changing developments I hardly saw coming, which just thickens the plot. As tensions between norms and abnorms continue to escalate, and the population in the besieged cities grow ever more desperate, I started to wonder if war really was inevitable. The ending will probably shock you as it did me.
There were only a couple issues that took away some of the impact, which I think bears mentioning. In the book, the government was able to mobilize 75,000 troops in a matter of hours to the rural plains of Wyoming, but then struggles to find enough manpower to shift and transport food to three mid-sized cities full of starving people even after a week? I don’t know if I buy that. Debating plausibility in a science fiction novel is probably a moot point, but the story still takes a hit in my eyes, mainly because the plight of Cleveland plays such a huge role. I also love the idea of brilliants, and the explanations for individual powers are pretty unique; in many of the cases, they are based on principles of science and physiology. A woman can become “invisible”, for example, moving unseen simply by being able to predict exactly when to move where no one will be looking. A man seemingly moves at super human speeds, but only because he perceives time differently than everyone else, experiencing each one second as slightly more than eleven. In contrast, I wasn’t entirely clear on the nature of Cooper’s own gift, which involves “reading intent”; perhaps it was better explained in the first book, but rather than a brilliant, he really just came across as a regular guy who was extraordinarily bright and perceptive.
Otherwise, I thought this was very enjoyable. While jumping on board mid-series might work with this book, it may not be possible for the next. A Better World does end on a pretty serious cliffhanger, and author Marcus Sakey sets us up for big things in book three. I can’t wait to see how things will resolve after that climactic ending.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Wunderkind PR!
YA Weekend: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Posted on July 19, 2014 14 Comments
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 3 of The Grisha
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (June 17, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Ruin and Rising was good, but perhaps it was just good…enough? I sat on this review for several weeks trying to gather my thoughts about this book hoping to figure out exactly how I feel about it. And in the end, I finally realized why I was so conflicted. I liked this book – and heck, up to now this series has been one of my YA favorites – but as badly was I wanted this to be the grand finale, I just couldn’t convince myself to love it.
As you would recall, Siege and Storm had the unmistakable feel of a second installment within a trilogy, with our protagonists experiencing a momentary setback. Last we saw Alina, she was in pretty bad shape, having lost her powers as the Sun Summoner. She and Mal have retreated underground with their allies, surrendering themselves to the power of the Apparat and his band of zealots who worship Alina as a Saint. But while Alina may be weakened, she is far from broken. Her mission remains the same: to capture and secure the third amplifier, the elusive firebird that would be her key to defeating the Darkling thus freeing Ravka from his iron grasp.
In truth, I had my reservations from the very beginning. The first couple of chapters almost drove me to return the book. Looking back, these were so clearly “transition” scenes that served no other purpose than to link book two with book three. As an antagonist, the Apparat was almost a non-entity, used to accomplish what was required, and then quickly forgotten. I just wanted this obligatory intro done and over with as quickly and painlessly as possible, and fortunately and unfortunately, it seemed Leigh Bardugo had the same idea. We always knew Alina’s goal was to hunt the firebird, and this brief little romp through the tunnels and caves felt like nothing more than a throwaway distraction.
Thankfully, we soon get back on the right track. We meet up with Nikolai, the outlaw prince of lovable arrogance and smart-assery, and now we can finally ask the really important questions. How are they going to go up against the Darkling? And what would a future Ravka look like if they succeed? Alina has some difficult decisions before her. What is she going to choose? Or rather, ugh, WHO is she going to choose?
In some ways, I feel validated. I still love YA, but not long ago, I told myself I can’t read them for their romances anymore. And I’m a much happier person for it. Enjoying a novel mainly for its story and characters is how I’ve come to approach YA, because if you rely on the outcome of a relationship to satisfy you, you’re bound to be disappointed. Time after time after time, predictability and tired clichés have ruined YA romances for me, and I’ve found it much easier now to just NOT CARE. It also helps that I’ve never really felt much connection to the men in Alina’s life. I’ve failed for three books to see the Darkling’s appeal. And Mal was ruined for me in Siege and Storm (you can’t get stinking drunk and kiss another girl and expect bygones to be bygones, Mal – you only get one chance with me). Nikolai was perhaps the most interesting and had the best personality out of everyone, and that told me right there he was obviously all wrong for Alina, so I never took his role as a suitor seriously.
I’m not going to say what happens, naturally. But I will say Bardugo took the “safe” route. Which was pretty much what I expected, so I’m actually not too upset with the ending. I’ve come to accept the status quo in YA fiction, and it hadn’t even occurred to me that this series could end any other way. It’s entirely possible I would have rated this book higher if it had been a bit bolder and strayed from conventions, but I’m also satisfied if not entirely blown away. And if this had been the author’s plan from the start, I applaud her for sticking to her guns and telling the story she wanted to tell. Everyone deserves their happily-ever-after, and Alina got the one perfect for her which is all that matters.
I’d still recommend this series. It became increasing more predictable as the story progressed with each installment, to the point where there were really no surprises left for me by book three, but it’s an entertaining trilogy as a whole. I wish it had ended with less tepidness considering the incredibly strong start that was Shadow and Bone, but I have to say it’s worth experiencing from beginning to end.
Posted on July 18, 2014 Leave a Comment
“I like libraries. It makes me feel comfortable and secure to have walls of words, beautiful and wise, all around me. I always feel better when I can see that there is something to hold back the shadows.”
~ Roger Zelazny, Nine Princes in Amber
The BiblioSanctum 